Petunia plant named ‘PEHY0031’

ABSTRACT

A new  Petunia  plant named ‘PEHY0031’ particularly distinguished by small, purple flowers, a very good branching, flat habit and a very good field performance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Petuniahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘PEHY0031’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Petunia, botanically known asPetunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘PEHY0031’.

‘PEHY0031’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas small, purple flowers, a very good branching and flat habit and avery good field performance.

‘PEHY0031’ originated from a hybridization made in October 2010 in acontrolled breeding environment in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. Thefemale parent was the unpatented proprietary plant designated ‘M0601’with similar purple with vein flower color, but with bigger flower size,and a more upright to semi-trailing plant habit with less branching.

The male parent of ‘PEHY0031’ was variety ‘PEHY0004’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 23,432) a bicolor star pattern dark rose and light rose, with acomparable plant habit and more greyish-green colored leaves.

The resulting seeds were sown in January 2011. ‘PEHY0031’ was selectedas one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in May2011 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘PEHY0031’ was accomplishedwhen stem tip vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initialselection in June 2011 in a controlled environment in Angers, France.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in June 2011 and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated thatthe combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘PEHY0031’are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations ofasexual reproduction.

‘PEHY0031’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar has not been applied for.‘PEHY0031’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effectivefiling date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that mayhave been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date ofthis application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘PEHY0031’directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Petunia as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘PEHY0031’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing shows in FIG. 1 a flowering plant of the newvariety and in

FIG. 2 a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in September 2016 from plantsgrowing outside in Andijk, The Netherlands. These plants wereapproximately 22 weeks of age.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in October 2016 inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands on 23 week old plants that were growing in 25cm pots.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘PEHY0031’ AND A SIMILARVARIETY Whip Pur (U.S. Plant ‘PEHY0031’ Pat. No. 15,480) Plant habit:Dense and flat growth More open and upright plant habit Vigor: StrongVery strong Earliness: Flowering 6 to 8 Rather late flowering daysearlier

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Trailing, medium vigorous, very good            branching plant.        -   Plant height.—13 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—14 cm.        -   Plant diameter (width).—55 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—16 days at            about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Immature leaf, color lower surface.—Closest to RHS 137D.        -   Mature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Mature leaf, color lower surface.—RHS 137D.        -   Length.—Up to 3.5 cm long.        -   Width.—Up to 1.8 cm wide.        -   Shape.—Ovate to elliptic.        -   Base shape.—Cuneate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Moderate covered with short hairs.        -   Lower surface.—Moderate covered with short hairs, more            densely covered with even shorter hairs on veins.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 144A.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 144A.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 144A.        -   Length.—0.1-0.3 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Petiole texture.—Short glandular hairs.-   Stem:    -   -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—8-9.        -   Color of stem.—RHS 144A.        -   Length of stem.—30-38 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.4 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—1-4 cm.        -   Texture.—Dense, mostly glandular hairs of various lengths.        -   Color of pedicel.—RHS 144A.        -   Length of pedicel.—1.0-1.5 cm.        -   Diameter of pedicel.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture of pedicel.—Densely covered with short hairs.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Flowers solitary in upper leaf axis.        -   Floret type.—Funnel-shaped; 5 lobed petals; fused at the            base.        -   Blooming habit.—Continuous flowering throughout the summer            months, excellent performance in warm and cool conditions.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—Approximately 100.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 7 days.        -   Fragrance.—A little scent.-   Bud (just when opening):    -   -   Color.—RHS N92A.        -   Length.—2.7 cm.        -   Width.—0.6 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblong.-   Immature inflorescence:    -   -   Flower horizontal diameter.—2.5 cm.        -   Color petals, upper surface.—Darker than RHS N74A.        -   Color petals, lower surface.—RHS 77A with veins RHS N77A.-   Mature flower:    -   -   Flower horizontal diameter.—3.5 cm.        -   Flower height (vertical).—2.5 cm.        -   Color upper surface.—Darker than RHS N74A.        -   Color lower surface.—RHS 77A with veins RHS N77A, more            greenish towards corolla tube, RHS 143B.-   All petals:    -   -   Apex shape.—Cuspidate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Waviness of margin.—Weak.        -   Petal lobation.—Medium.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Papillose, glabrous.        -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Papillose; glandular hair on            veins and tube.        -   Corolla tube color outside.—RHS 79A.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—RHS 79B.        -   Corolla tube length.—2.0 cm.        -   Corolla tube texture, outside.—Pilose, glandular hairs.        -   Corolla tube texture, inside.—Glabrous.-   Calyx:    -   -   Color of sepal, upper surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Color of sepal, lower surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Length.—0.9 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Ensiform.        -   Apex shape.—Acute to obtuse.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Densely covered with short glandular            hairs.        -   Lower surface.—Densily covered with short glandular hairs.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistil.—1.        -   Length.—1.7 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 137D, more anthocyanin towards stigma, RHS            N79B.        -   Style length.—1.6 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 137D.        -   Stamens.—        -   Quantity per flower.—5.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS N80C, lighter towards base.        -   Length filaments.—1.2 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS N187C.        -   Anther length.—0.15 cm.        -   Anther shape.—Elliptical.        -   Color of pollen.—RHS N187D.        -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this hybrid.        -   Disease/pest resistance.—Has not been observed on this            hybrid.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Petunia plant named‘PEHY0031’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.